Simulating a perception sensor

Abstract

A simulator for a perception sensor, wherein the simulator comprises a computing core for an execution of a simulation model of the perception sensor. The simulation model generates, based on a virtual 3D environment, synthetic sensor data in such a way as the perception sensor would generate real sensor data in a real environment corresponding to the virtual 3D environment. The simulator comprises an interface for transmitting the synthetic sensor data to a test specimen and for reading in control commands from the test specimen. The interface includes an electrical connection for simulating a power supply from the test specimen to the perception sensor. The interface comprises a controllable resistor for controlling an electrical resistance of the electrical connection. The simulation model calculates a power consumption of the simulated perception sensor from at least one variable value of the simulation model at runtime and controls the controllable resistor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A simulator for a perception sensor, the simulator comprising:
 a computing core for an execution of a simulation model of the perception sensor, the simulation model generating sensor data in such a way as the perception sensor would generate real sensor data in a real environment corresponding to the virtual 3D environment; and   an interface to transmit the sensor data to a test specimen and to read in control commands from the test specimen, the interface comprising an electrical connection for simulating a power supply from the test specimen to the perception sensor, and the interface comprising a controllable resistor for controlling an electrical resistance of the electrical connection,   the simulation model calculates a power consumption of the simulated perception sensor from at least one variable value of the simulation model at runtime and controls the controllable resistor such that a power consumption of the electrical connection corresponds to the calculated power consumption of the simulated perception sensor at any point in time during runtime of the simulation model.   
     
     
         2 . The simulator according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one variable value of the simulation model is a temperature of the perception sensor. 
     
     
         3 . The simulator according to  claim 2 , wherein the simulation model takes into account a temperature dependence of an electrical behavior of at least one component of the perception sensor. 
     
     
         4 . The simulator according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one variable value is a specific operating variable for the perception sensor. 
     
     
         5 . The simulator according to  claim 4 , wherein the specific operating variable is selected from: frames per second, exposures per image, and/or a linear or an exponential HDR output mode. 
     
     
         6 . The simulator according to  claim 1 , wherein the electrical connection comprises a controllable capacitance which can be controlled from at least one variable value of the simulation model at runtime in accordance with the control of the controllable resistor. 
     
     
         7 . The simulator according to  claim 1 , wherein the electrical connection comprises a controllable inductance which can be controlled from at least one variable value of the simulation model at runtime in accordance with the control of the controllable resistor. 
     
     
         8 . The simulator according to  claim 1 , wherein the perception sensor is an imaging sensor. 
     
     
         9 . The simulator according to  claim 8 , wherein the imaging sensor is a camera, a radar, a LIDAR or a sonar. 
     
     
         10 . The simulator according to  claim 1 , wherein the computing core is a CPU, GPU or a FPGA. 
     
     
         11 . The simulator according to  claim 1 , wherein the simulation model generates synthetic sensor data based on a virtual 3D environment. 
     
     
         12 . A method for simulating a perception sensor based on a simulation model, the method comprising:
 generating sensor data in such a way as the perception sensor would generate real sensor data in a real environment corresponding to the virtual 3D environment,   transmitting the sensor data to a test specimen and reading in control commands from the test specimen via an interface, the interface including an electrical connection for simulating a power supply from the test specimen to the perception sensor;   controlling a controllable resistor for controlling an electrical resistance of the electrical connection;   calculating a power consumption of the simulated perception sensor from variable values of the simulation model at runtime; and   controlling the controllable resistor such that a power consumption of the electrical connection corresponds to the calculated power consumption of the simulated perception sensor at any point in time during runtime of the simulation model.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the at least one variable value of the simulation model is a temperature of the perception sensor and the simulation model takes into account a temperature dependence of an electrical behavior of at least one component of the perception sensor. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein of the electrical connection comprises a controllable capacitance which are controlled from at least one variable value of the simulation model at runtime in accordance with the control of the controllable resistor. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the simulator comprises a controllable inductance which are controlled from at least one variable value of the simulation model at runtime in accordance with the control of the controllable resistor. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the sensor data is synthetic sensor data generated based on a virtual 3D environment.